For Tara, crocheting was a way to pass by time as she underwent chemotherapy. When her blanket was long enough, it kept her warm during her treatment. To her, it’s a symbol of resilience and what she’s overcome.
With the colder seasons coming up, we thought you might like to create a blanket of your own! Below you can download a pattern on how to make a simple blanket (beginner friendly!). We’ve also created a video tutorial which you can use to follow along.
Tara refers to the blanket she made as her ‘chemo blanket’. She shares:
“I started it years before I was diagnosed with cancer as a hobby. It was an attempt at knitting, however I overestimated my patience and gave up pretty quickly!
It wasn’t until I started chemotherapy that I started it again. With chemo going for 6-8 hours, I had plenty of time to relearn how to crochet! It was actually a lovely lady named Sue who inspired me to get back into it, I met her whilst having treatment.
During treatment nurses would give us patients warm blankets as the chemo running through could make us quite cold. Once my chemo blanket was long enough to cover my legs, I stopped accepting those blankets from the nurses as mine was enough to keep me warm.
Crocheting was something fun to do during those long hours of the day and it was time that Mum and I spent together.
I still have my chemo blanket today and bring it out in the cooler months. It’s a reminder of what I’ve been through and what helped me get through some extremely difficult times. I’m really proud of what I’ve achieved and where I am today, and this blanket is a symbol of my strength and resilience.”
Caption: Tara with the blanket she crocheted during chemotherapy